Sriracha fans worry as shipments put on hold, but get movie in return

Updated 2:42 pm, Thursday, December 12, 2013

The heat just got turned up for hot sauce fans everywhere as Sriracha's owner was forced to put a hold on new shipments of the famous sauce. The news comes just as Sriracha the Movie is released.

It's the second round of bad luck for the legendary sauce producer after residents in Rosemead, Calif., where it's made, decided to sue over bad smells coming from the factory.

Health department officials are enforcing stricter guidelines that require a 30-day hold on the product, which means the next shipment won't go out until mid-January.

This is raising fears that supplies may run short in Houston restaurants.

"I am concerned," said Ben Thach from Kim Son Vietnamese restaurant on Jefferson. Customers there go through close to 100 bottles of Sriracha a week. "People will be crushed, it's our most-used condiment."

The Sriracha movie released this week comes from hot-sauce fanatic Griffin Hammond, who got funding from fans through Kickstarter and secured exclusive access to the factory. He even traveled to the actual city of Sri Racha in Thailand, where the sauce gets its name.

Photo: Nick Ut, Associated Press

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The Sriracha factory makes 3,000 bottles an hour 24 hours a day, 6 days a week. That's 70,000 a week and they've just moved to a factory 2.5 times bigger.

The Sriracha factory makes 3,000 bottles an hour 24 hours a day, 6 days a week. That's 70,000 a week and they've just moved to a factory 2.5 times bigger.

Photo: Nick Ut, Associated Press

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People who can't pronouce the name call it cock sauce or rooster sauce after the picture on the front. Creator David Tran was born in the Chinese year of the rooster.

People who can't pronouce the name call it cock sauce or rooster sauce after the picture on the front. Creator David Tran was born in the Chinese year of the rooster.

Photo: ROBYN BECK, AFP/Getty Images

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Sriracha creator David Tran came to the US as a refugee after the Vietnam war. He started from nothing.

Sriracha creator David Tran came to the US as a refugee after the Vietnam war. He started from nothing.

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Soon Sriracha will be available in gallon size bottles for those die hard fans!

Soon Sriracha will be available in gallon size bottles for those die hard fans!

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They use 48,000 tonnes of re chilli peppers every year grown on 1750 acres in California, the largest red jalapeno grower in the country.

They use 48,000 tonnes of re chilli peppers every year grown on 1750 acres in California, the largest red jalapeno grower in the country.

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Many sushi restaurants use Sriracha to maketheir spicy tuna.

Many sushi restaurants use Sriracha to maketheir spicy tuna.

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Filmmaker Griffin Hammond raised the money to make his film on Kickstarter in just 8 hours.

Filmmaker Griffin Hammond raised the money to make his film on Kickstarter in just 8 hours.

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FILE - In this Oct 29, 2013 file photo, Sriracha chili sauce bottles are produced at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif. The Southern California-based maker of Sriracha has been told it can't ship any more of its popular hot sauce to food distributors until next month because the state Department of Public Health is enforcing stricter guidelines that require a 30-day hold on the product. Health department spokeswoman Anita Gore told The Associated Press on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013 that the 30-day hold is needed to "ensure an effective treatment of microorganisms present in the product." (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File) less

FILE - In this Oct 29, 2013 file photo, Sriracha chili sauce bottles are produced at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif. The Southern California-based maker of Sriracha has been told it can't ship ... more

Photo: Nick Ut, Associated Press

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FILE - In this Oct 29, 2013 file photo, Sriracha chili sauce is produced at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif. The Southern California-based maker of Sriracha has been told it can't ship any more of its popular hot sauce to food distributors until next month because the state Department of Public Health is enforcing stricter guidelines that require a 30-day hold on the product. Health department spokeswoman Anita Gore told The Associated Press on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013 that the 30-day hold is needed to "ensure an effective treatment of microorganisms present in the product." (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File) less

FILE - In this Oct 29, 2013 file photo, Sriracha chili sauce is produced at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif. The Southern California-based maker of Sriracha has been told it can't ship any more ... more

Photo: Nick Ut, Associated Press

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FILE - In this Oct 29, 2013 file photo, Sriracha chili sauce is produced at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif. The Southern California-based maker of Sriracha has been told it can't ship any more of its popular hot sauce to food distributors until next month because the state Department of Public Health is enforcing stricter guidelines that require a 30-day hold on the product. Health department spokeswoman Anita Gore told The Associated Press on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013 that the 30-day hold is needed to "ensure an effective treatment of microorganisms present in the product." (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File) less

FILE - In this Oct 29, 2013 file photo, Sriracha chili sauce is produced at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif. The Southern California-based maker of Sriracha has been told it can't ship any more ... more

Photo: Nick Ut, Associated Press

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Bottles of the Sriracha hot sauce travel down a conveyor belt to be boxed for shipment at the Huy Fong Foods Inc. facilty in Irwindale, California, U.S., on Monday, Nov. 11, 2013. A judge denied the city of Irwindale's request for a temporary restraining order and set a hearing for November 22 to determine whether the hot-sauce factory should be shut down while it fixes alleged odor problems. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg less

Bottles of the Sriracha hot sauce travel down a conveyor belt to be boxed for shipment at the Huy Fong Foods Inc. facilty in Irwindale, California, U.S., on Monday, Nov. 11, 2013. A judge denied the city of ... more

Photo: Patrick T. Fallon, Bloomberg

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This Tuesday Oct. 29, 2013 photo a worker unloads chili peppers for making of Sriracha chili sauce at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif. The maker of Sriracha hot sauce is under fire for allegedly fouling the air around its Southern California production site. The city of Irwindale filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday Oct. 28, 2013 asking a judge to stop production at the Huy Fong Foods factory, claiming the chili odor emanating from the facility is a public nuisance. less

This Tuesday Oct. 29, 2013 photo a worker unloads chili peppers for making of Sriracha chili sauce at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif. The maker of Sriracha hot sauce is under fire for allegedly ... more

Photo: Nick Ut, AP

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California: Chili peppers are loaded onto a conveyer belt for making of Sriracha chili sauce at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif. The maker of Sriracha hot sauce is under fire for allegedly fouling the air around its Southern California production site. The city of Irwindale filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday Oct. 28, 2013 asking a judge to stop production at the Huy Fong Foods factory, claiming the chili odor emanating from the facility is a public nuisance. less

California: Chili peppers are loaded onto a conveyer belt for making of Sriracha chili sauce at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif. The maker of Sriracha hot sauce is under fire for allegedly ... more

Photo: Nick Ut, Associated Press

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California: Bottles of Sriracha hot sauce are filled with product at Huy Fong Foods Inc. in Rosemead, Calif. The city of Irwindale, where Huy Fong has a production facility, on Monday, Oct. 28, 2013 filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court asking a judge to stop production at the factory, claiming the chili odor emanating from the plant is a public nuisance. less

California: Bottles of Sriracha hot sauce are filled with product at Huy Fong Foods Inc. in Rosemead, Calif. The city of Irwindale, where Huy Fong has a production facility, on Monday, Oct. 28, 2013 filed a ... more

Photo: Greg Andersen, Associated Press

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This Tuesday Oct. 29, 2013 photo shows Sriracha chili sauce moves along a production line during at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013. The maker of Sriracha hot sauce is under fire for allegedly fouling the air around its Southern California production site. The city of Irwindale filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court Monday asking a judge to stop production at the Huy Fong Foods factory, claiming the chili odor emanating from the facility is a public nuisance. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) less

This Tuesday Oct. 29, 2013 photo shows Sriracha chili sauce moves along a production line during at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013. The maker of Sriracha hot sauce is ... more

Photo: Nick Ut, Associated Press

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Sriracha chili sauce is produced at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013. The maker of Sriracha hot sauce is under fire for allegedly fouling the air around its Southern California production site. The city of Irwindale filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court Monday asking a judge to stop production at the Huy Fong Foods factory, claiming the chili odor emanating from the facility is a public nuisance. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) less

Sriracha chili sauce is produced at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013. The maker of Sriracha hot sauce is under fire for allegedly fouling the air around its Southern ... more

Photo: Nick Ut, Associated Press

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(NukelarBurrito / Flickr)

(NukelarBurrito / Flickr)

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Sriracha fans worry as shipments put on hold, but get movie in return

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"Almost everyone loves my product. I feel very proud," Sriracha creator David Tran says in the movie. He often eats his product totally unnoticed in restaurants around Los Angeles. He said he'll continue to make his product until people don't like it anymore.

Sriracha does have some doubters among the hot sauce aficianados of Houston. Bellaire hot sauce store iBurn says they don't stock it because they don't agree with some of the additives it includes.

But its loyal following remains.

As Thach puts it, "It's the taste. Has vinegar and chilli, it gives you a zing!"

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